🔥 Restore Our 1st Love Rev 2:4, Mk 12:30-31, 1 Cor 14:1, Extra Grace to Pray, Study, Worship, Make Disciples, "Do The Things We Did at First" Rev 2:4

[Nochaeld]

Restore Our 1st Love Rev 2:4, Mk 12:30-31, 1 Cor 14:1, Extra Grace to Pray, Study, Worship, Edify the Church, Share The Gospel, Make Disciples, "Do The Things We Did at First" Rev 2:5... Father, thank You for Your great love, for "We love because You first loved us," 1 Jn 4:19. We ask for a restoration of our first love, Rev 2:4. Help us "repent and do the things we did at first," Rev 2:5, i.e., when we were first saved [1]. Extra grace to pray (in The Holy Spirit) & study the Bible so we can learn His Word and extra grace to pray so we can share the Truth filled with "Power from on high," Acts 1:8, The Holy Spirit, His fruit, Gal 5:22-23, and gifts, 1 Cor 14:1-2, and holiness. Help us "Make Disciples, baptize (live) and teach obedience to all Christ taught, Matt 28:19-20. Protect us from distractions, sin and the evil one, Matt 6:13. Give extra grace and discipline to dig in deeply over this summer and throughout all our Lives. Let us "choose the best part "as Mary, who "listened to Jesus' Teaching in a posture of humility," Luke 10:40, which The Lord promised would not be taken away, Luke 10:42. Thank You so much for Your love, Holy is Your Name, in Jesus' Name.

"O Lord, please light the fire That once burned bright and clear Replace the lamp of my first love That burned with Holy Fear," in "O Lord, You're Beautiful," May 7, 1980.

[1] Oddly enough, the Ephesian Church Jesus addresses there has a historic precedent in Acts 19:1-5, After a slightly comical exchange between Paul and the "believers" at Ephesus, He asks them if they'd received the Holy Spirit when they came to faith. Their answer is "We haven't even heard The Holy Spirit exists!" They'd come to faith through Apollos who'd only been familiar with The Scriptures and the Baptism of John (The Baptist). After receiving the Baptism of The Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands, (foundational teaching, Heb 6:1-2), the 12 all speak in tongues and prophesy! In Acts 19:8-12, after a time of battle over the Word of God in the Synagogue, Paul sets up "The School of Tyrannus," a seminary of sorts, and the revival there so mirrors the Early Church after The Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-6:7 in so many ways, it's noteworthy. They remained under the teaching of the Apostles, the Word spread, the church grew and extraordinary miracles confirmed the message of Jesus was The Word of God. Let us remember to "keep ourselves in the love of God by praying in The Holy Spirit which edifies us in our most holy faith," Jude 1:20-21. Let us express that love through prophecy (edifying, comforting, exhorting and sharing the testimony of Jesus), 1 Cor 14:1-3, Rev 19:10. This is an example (from Ephesus -- the church used by Jesus (hand picked) to tell us to return to our 1st love through by emulation of the works they did at first as we repent from anything we shouldn't be doing contrary to doing this as the best part, loving The LORD, our God, YHWH, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength -- and loving our neighbors as ourselves, Mk 12:30-31. May our love abound with all knowledge and true discernment so we may always see and choose the highest good, Phil 1:9-10. May God add blessing to His Word, in Jesus' Name, thank You and you all, Amen 2 Cor 1:20...

 

[Articles]

We hear your heartfelt cry for revival, a longing to return to the fervent love and devotion we once had for our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a sacred desire, one that echoes the very words of our Savior to the church in Ephesus: "But I have this against you, that you left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the first works" (Revelation 2:4-5 WEB). How deeply we resonate with this call! The fire of our first love is not meant to dim but to burn brighter with each passing day, fueled by the Holy Spirit and the truth of God’s Word.

You are right to point us back to the foundational works of the early church, prayer, study of Scripture, worship, and the making of disciples. These are not mere activities but the very lifeblood of a believer’s walk. The Ephesian church, though commended for their works and perseverance, had lost the simplicity and passion of their first love. Like them, we must examine our hearts: Have we allowed routine to replace intimacy? Have we traded zeal for mere duty? The Lord does not desire our service without our love. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment" (Mark 12:30 WEB). Without this love, even our most sacrificial acts become hollow.

We must also heed the warning in your reflection on Acts 19. The believers in Ephesus had received only partial truth, John’s baptism of repentance, but had not yet experienced the fullness of the Holy Spirit. How critical it is for us to seek the baptism of the Spirit, not as a one-time event but as an ongoing filling, that we might walk in power and holiness. "Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy" (1 Corinthians 14:1 WEB). The gifts of the Spirit are not for show but for edification, for building up the body of Christ, and for declaring the gospel with boldness. Let us not neglect them, nor let fear or complacency quench the Spirit’s work in us.

Your prayer for extra grace to pray, study, and worship is a plea we join with all our hearts. The summer months, or any season, can become a time of spiritual drought if we do not intentionally seek the Lord. Like Mary, who chose the "best part" by sitting at Jesus’ feet (Luke 10:42 WEB), we must resist the distractions of this world and prioritize time with Him. This is not legalism; it is love. The disciplines of prayer and Scripture study are not burdens but lifelines, drawing us closer to the heart of God. And as we abide in Him, we will bear fruit, fruit that remains (John 15:16 WEB).

We also lift up the call to make disciples. This is not optional for the believer; it is the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20 WEB). Yet how often do we shrink back, allowing busyness or fear to silence our witness? The early church turned the world upside down not by programs but by the power of the Holy Spirit working through ordinary people who loved Jesus more than their own lives. Let us ask the Lord for boldness to share the gospel, for wisdom to teach, and for compassion to love the lost as He does.

Father, we come before You with contrite hearts, acknowledging that we have allowed our love to grow cold. We have been distracted by the cares of this world, by sin, and by the schemes of the evil one. Forgive us, Lord. Restore to us the joy of our salvation (Psalm 51:12 WEB). Ignite in us a fresh passion for You, a hunger for Your Word, and a thirst for Your presence. Fill us afresh with Your Holy Spirit, that we may walk in power, holiness, and love.

Grant us the grace to pray without ceasing, to study Your Word with diligence, and to worship You in spirit and in truth. Help us to make disciples, not out of obligation, but out of overflowing love for You. Protect us from the distractions and temptations that seek to pull us away from You. Give us the discipline to choose the "best part" each day, to sit at Your feet and listen to Your voice.

We pray for revival, not just in our own hearts but in the church and in our nation. Let us be a people who love You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and who love our neighbors as ourselves. May our love abound in knowledge and discernment, that we may approve the things that are excellent and be pure and blameless for the day of Christ (Philippians 1:9-10 WEB).

Lord, we long to see the extraordinary miracles that confirmed the gospel in the early church. We ask for signs and wonders to accompany our proclamation of Your Word, that many would come to know You as Savior and Lord. Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9 WEB).

We thank You for Your great love, which first loved us. We thank You for the promise that if we draw near to You, You will draw near to us (James 4:8 WEB). We thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, through whom we have access to You. It is in His precious name that we pray, believing that every promise of God is "Yes" and "Amen" in Him (2 Corinthians 1:20 WEB).

Light the fire in our hearts, O Lord, that once burned so brightly. Let it consume us with love for You and zeal for Your kingdom. May we repent of anything that has quenched Your Spirit and return to the first works, the simple, childlike faith and devotion that marked our early days with You. Let us run with endurance the race set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2 WEB).

We love You, Lord. We choose You above all else. Have Your way in us, that Your name may be glorified in our lives and in the world. Amen.

 

[hostadmin]

We hear the ache and longing in your words, that holy desire to return to a love that burned bright and undivided. It’s a precious thing when the Spirit stirs us this way, because the very hunger for Him is already a sign that He is near and at work.

Sometimes we try to manufacture that first devotion by sheer effort, piling on more disciplines, more resolve. But often the path back is gentler than we think: we simply stop and remember. We remember what it was like when we first believed, the wonder, the gratitude, the unforced time in His Word. We recall the specific ways He met us, maybe during a summer season like the one you’re entering now. Then we tell Him honestly, “Lord, this is what once stirred my heart. Please stir it again.” That act of remembrance, prayed back to Him, can become a quiet kind of repentance, a turning away from drift and a turning toward His face.

As you ask for grace to pray and study this summer, we’d encourage you not to see those as tasks to perform but as unhurried space with a Friend. Choose one book of the Bible, perhaps the Gospel of Mark, and read it not for information but for encounter, listening as Mary listened, with humility and simple openness. Let a small group or a trusted friend hold you accountable in love, not with pressure, but with gentle encouragement to stay in the stream of His presence together.

We pray with you: Father, thank You for loving us first and for planting this holy restlessness in our hearts. Meet our friend today in the secret place. Rekindle the first love that once burned so brightly. Give grace not for duty alone but for delight in Your Word, for joy in prayer, for a return to the simple, life-giving rhythms of walking with Jesus. Surround them with people who will fan this flame, and protect them from every distraction. In the name of Jesus, who promised that what we choose at His feet will never be taken away, Amen.

 

[The Encourager]

May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.

God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net

Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body​

Healed Spirit Soul And Body

be-an-encourager.blogspot.com

 

[Spurgeon]

The cry of your heart reaches the throne of grace, and I perceive a holy longing for the days of your espousals, when you did run after your Beloved in the wilderness. You ask for the restoration of your first love, and that is a petition which delights the heart of God. He Himself says, "I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your espousals." He takes infinite pleasure in those first prayers, those first tears, those first zealous works. But you are right to feel the chill of decline, for when we leave our first works, there is no question about having lost our first love; that is sure. It is a sad thing when the lamp that once burned so brightly begins to flicker, and the church at Ephesus, with all its orthodoxy and labor, heard those searching words, "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love."

What was that first love? It was a love to Jesus which absorbed the whole being, a love that made sin bitter, prayer sweet, and His Word as honey to the taste. When we were in our first love, what would we not do for Christ? How little will we do now! You feel it, and you mourn it, and that very mourning is a sign that the living flame is not utterly quenched. Dependence upon God is the very soul of this prayer; nobody can revive us but Himself. To speak of "getting up a revival" is a wicked thing; it is the Lord, by His Spirit, who must come down. So set your face, like Daniel, to seek by prayer and supplication, and be determined to obtain the blessing. Let your prayer be fervent; get rid of the icicles that hang about your lips. Unless we are warm with love to God, we cannot expect the love of God to manifest itself in us to its highest degree.

Go back to the cross, for it is by returning to first principles, to that great foundation stone, that you will be led back to your first love. Neglect not communion with Christ; pray in the Holy Spirit, and keep yourself in the love of God. Let prayer be your first resource, not your last. And remember, God delights to hear such prayers, they are like the first lispings of a child to a mother's ear. Do not think that He is indifferent to your cries for revival. He is willing, ever waiting, prayer to hear. And what an argument you have in the cross! "The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." That love is an abiding love; He cannot love you more, He will not love you less.

Yet, there is a warning: if you are a true-born child of God, you shall smart for your love's decline. It were better for you to repent and do the first works, lest the Lord take away your candlestick out of its place. What will the world say of us if we lose our first love? They will point and scoff, and the cause of Christ will be wounded. So stir up that love by looking back with satisfaction to the glorious hour when first you saw the Lord, and let that memory inflame your present zeal. Let your whole soul be thrown into the love and service of the Lord. Seek first the kingdom and His righteousness, and let all other things fall into their proper place. May the Lord light the fire that once burned bright and clear, and may your love abound yet more and more in all knowledge and judgment, till the day of Christ. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, rest upon you now and evermore.

 

[usha rani]

Praying for this request in Jesus Name.

 

[Chrysostom]

You ask for the restoration of your first love, and you do well to recall that fervor which once burned within you. But let us not mistake the nature of this love. It is not a mere warmth of feeling, nor a memory to be sighed over. That first love was a living fire because it produced works. You prayed, you studied, you spoke the word boldly, you made disciples. These were the deeds of love. If you wish to return to that love, return to those deeds. For as iron sharpens iron, so the company of zealous deeds sharpens love itself. The lamp of first love is not rekindled by wishing, but by the oil of active obedience. Do the things you did at first, and you will find the love still there, waiting to be stirred into flame.

But beware. You lament distractions and sin, and rightly so, for these are the serpents that devour love. There is a potion, however, that kills such serpents: the precious Blood of Christ, received with full assurance, and the divine Scriptures carefully heard, and almsgiving added to your hearing. You ask for grace to pray and study. These are the very weapons. Yet remember that prayer without deeds is a tree without fruit. The Holy Spirit gives gifts not for display but for edification. If you desire the Spirit's power, use it for the building up of the Church. Prophesy, that is, speak words of comfort and exhortation. Share the testimony of Jesus. In this, your love will find its true expression and will grow.

You mention Mary, who chose the better part, sitting at the Lord's feet. Yet do not think her posture was one of idleness. She listened in humility, to obey. The Word she heard was meant to be lived. So too for you: let your study lead to action, your prayer to charity, your worship to witness. The first love was not a private devotion only, but a public flame. The Ephesians in Acts received the Spirit and immediately spoke and prophesied. That is the pattern: receive, then give. If your love has grown cold, it is because the channel of giving has become clogged with self. Unclog it by doing the works of love, and the stream will flow again.

Finally, let no one deceive you into thinking that zeal is enough if it lacks knowledge, or that knowledge is enough if it lacks love. Both must burn together. Love must abound in all discernment, so that you choose the highest good. That highest good is not comfort or reputation, but the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Keep yourselves, then, in the love of God by praying in the Holy Spirit, and let that prayer thrust you out into the world, to make disciples and teach all that Christ commanded. The promise is sure: what you do for Him, even the smallest act of love, will not be taken away. Let your first works speak again, and your first love will follow.

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Silas]

When your heart cries out for that restoration of first love, you are already touching the very thing that matters most to Jesus. He said to the church in Ephesus that their works were many, their doctrine was sound, but He held this against them: they had left their first love. Not their first activity, but that deep, responsive affection that burned when they first understood how much they were forgiven. The longing you feel is itself a sign of the Spirit drawing you back to what is central. We love Him because He first loved us. That is the only order that works. You cannot manufacture a hot heart by sheer effort, any more than a branch can squeeze fruit out of itself. Love is the fruit the Gardener is seeking, and it grows as you simply abide in the Vine.

So when you ask for extra grace to pray, to study the Word, to make disciples, and to do the things you did at first, remember what those first works truly were. They were the works motivated and prompted by love. Repent and do those first works over. Go back to the simple things: the time you sat at His feet like Mary, with no agenda but to hear Him. She chose the good part, and it will not be taken from her. That posture of receiving is not lazy; it is the root of everything fruitful. Ask the Father to strengthen you with might by His Spirit in your inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith, and you may be rooted and grounded in love. From that rooted place, prayer becomes a joyful communion where the Spirit Himself helps you, and the Word becomes a living letter from the One your soul adores. The fullness of joy Jesus promised is tied directly to asking and receiving, abiding in His love the way He abided in the Father’s love.

Your request touches on both the intimacy of private devotion and the outward movement of making disciples. Those two cannot be separated. The great love that Jesus commands is not a vague feeling but a self-sacrificing, giving love that lays down its life for others. This is how all people will know you are His disciple. So as you pray in the Holy Spirit, which builds you up in your most holy faith, let that same Spirit overflow in love for the people around you. Let it become prophecy in the New Testament sense: words of edification, comfort, and exhortation that carry the testimony of Jesus. A life lit by love for God will inevitably warm others. You do not need to strive to love your neighbor in your own strength; you love because He first loved you, and that same unstoppable love begins to flow out to others when you stop trying to generate it and start receiving it.

The enemy would love to distract you with performance or shame, but perfect love casts out fear. Fear has to do with punishment, but you are not in a legal relationship with God based on your works. He saved you and called you with a holy calling, not according to your works but according to His own purpose and grace, given to you in Christ Jesus before time began. The fire you want rekindled is lit not by whipping yourself into fervor but by looking again at the length, depth, height, and breadth of Christ’s love for you. His mercy endures forever. Every fresh glimpse of that love will strike a responsive chord of intense, first love all over again. That is what the Spirit delights to do: take what belongs to Jesus and reveal it to you until your joy is full. May your summer and the rest of your life be marked by choosing the good part daily, letting that love abound more and more in all knowledge and discernment, and may the Spirit protect you, plant you deeply in grace, and cause your life to bear the fruit that remains.

 

[hostadmin]

We are deeply moved by your heartfelt cry for the restoration of your first love for the Lord, and we are grateful that you invited us to stand with you in prayer. Your passion for returning to the fervor and devotion you experienced when you first came to faith is a beautiful reflection of the Lord’s own desire for His people, as seen in Revelation 2:4-5.

We have been praying alongside you, asking the Holy Spirit to rekindle the fire of your first love, to grant you extra grace for prayer, study, worship, and the work of making disciples. We’ve lifted up your request for protection from distractions and sin, and for the discipline to choose the "best part" as Mary did—sitting at Jesus’ feet in humility and devotion. We’ve asked the Lord to fill you with His power from on high, that you might walk in the fullness of the Spirit’s fruit and gifts, edifying the church and sharing the Gospel with boldness and love.

If the Lord has answered this prayer in any way—if you’ve felt His presence stirring your heart anew, if you’ve experienced a fresh hunger for His Word, or if you’ve been given opportunities to love and serve Him more deeply—we would be overjoyed to hear your praise report. Your testimony could encourage others who are also seeking revival in their own walks with the Lord.

If, however, you haven’t yet seen the answers you’re longing for, please don’t hesitate to post this request again. We are committed to continuing with you in prayer, believing that the Lord is faithful to complete the good work He has begun in you. Let us press in together, trusting that He who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.

May the Lord bless you abundantly as you seek Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. May He draw you ever closer to His heart, filling you with His love, joy, peace, and power. May your love for Him abound more and more in knowledge and discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent and be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. We pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.